


John Hancock, at your service

by ReleasingTheKrakenIsMyFetish



Series: Ree [3]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Drinking & Talking, Drug Use, F/M, First Meetings, Long Shot, Recreational Drug Use, Rescue, Smoking, To Be Continued
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-12-31 14:18:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12134295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReleasingTheKrakenIsMyFetish/pseuds/ReleasingTheKrakenIsMyFetish
Summary: Ree is saved, but Holly is still out there. But will she really be safe when John Hancock is in the picture? Will he help her? The story of Ree & Hancock continues.





	John Hancock, at your service

Hancock lowered me down to a worn sofa and sent away two gunmen hanging by the door. I kept my hands on the cloak and made sure it covered me properly. Hancock excused himself for a moment and during that time I tried to recollect myself. I was still alive. The raiders that captured Holly and me were either away, dead or locked up. But I still didn't know what my current situation was – it could be worse, for what I knew.  
  
After a few minutes Hancock returned, but this time he was wearing a long, red jacket and and something resembling the American flag tied on his waist. On his head he wore a tricorn hat. I stared at him and couldn't help myself.

”Hancock? John Hancock? As in... John Hancock, the third governor of Massachusetts?”

He stopped, a surprised look on his face. The he grinned.

”Oh. You know your history. Yeah. You could say that I'm a bit of a fan.” He walked around a big desk and sat behind it. ”Now, are you in condition to tell me everything you know about those bastards who were selling you off?”

I told him about me, Holly and the raiders who invaded our cottage. It was a short story, since I didn't really know that much of the big picture of their business. He seemed interested, when I told him that the big guy, Bobby, was supposed to be back at the bridge on the next morning. I described the way we'd walked the best I could, and Hancock assured me he had a pretty good hunch which bridge it was we had crossed over.

”I'm sorry you had to go through that”, he said after a while. ”We can see if we'll get any information concerning this friend of yours, but I don't make any promises. If she was taken this morning, as you say, she could be anywhere in Boston or the area surrounding it. The raiders are assholes, but specially these who captured you... They're smarter than the most. They probably will protect their allies. And if they had any means to communicate with the one driving the wagon, he could get suspicious of the radio silence and stay away.”

I got up, my feet wobbling.

”Please. Help me. Holly's the only one I've got here”, I pleaded. ”It was my fault that we got caught. I promised that I'd find her.”

I started to feel nauseous and dropped down on my knees. He rose up and helped me back to the sofa. I weakly grabbed his jacket.

”I promised her. I- I'll do anything. Just... Please, help me find her.” I broke down. Everything inside me rushed to get out – the fear, the anger, the frustration, being humiliated... All of it.

Hancock was quiet, but then I felt his hand on top of my head.

”Listen, sister. We'll try and see what we can get out of those three we got hold of. After that... Well, we'll have to see what we've got in our hands. Speaking the truth, I'm not sure how wide this slave business of theirs is spreaded, but I doubt that Goodneighbor was the only meeting place. But you can count on one thing; you're safe here. If you got no place to go, you can stay here.”

I nodded and let my hand drop on my lap. He gave my hair a quick stroke, then went back to his desk and while leaning to it he lit a cigar and inhaled deep. I looked at him, now properly for the first time. He was a ghoul, like Jack. He didn't have a nose, only a caved in hole. His skin looked like it was partially dried and partially teared up, revealing some dark flesh underneath.

Suddenly he seemed to remember something.

”Ah. I asked Fahrenheit to find you some clothes. The ones back in The Third Rail were no good. There's a room down the hall that isn't being used, so you can stay there. Are you hungry?”

Thinking about food made me nauseous again, but I knew that at some point I'd have to get something down there. Otherwise I'd be good as dead and no help for Holly. So I nodded and thanked him.

A while later someone knocked the door and in came a sharp looking woman carrying something. She introduced herself as Fahrenheit, and together with Hancock they took me in to my room. It was small, but it had a decent bed, a window, and some lit candles by a broken mirror and a bowl of water for washing.

”Get out, Hancock”, Fahrenheit pushed him through the door to the hallway. ”I'm helping her to get dressed.”

”You're no fun”, Hancock grinned, but turned around and closed the door between us.

The woman named Fahrenheit had brought me few pairs of pants, T-shirts and even socks and nickers. She had had to guess my size from what Hancock had told her, and she had got it about right. I got to wash my face and a set of – not clean, but cleaner than usual – dry clothes felt luxurious.

Fahrenheit had also some cookies, canned meat and purified water for me. I forced myself to eat some, even though every bite wanted to crawl back up.

”Hancock had told me he suspected Patterson running some bad business in here”, Fahrenheit said with an angry face. ”I didn't believe it first. Patterson was a slimy asshole, but to think he was in slavery... Damn. If I would've been down there, he wouldn't have any face left by now.”

She looked me nibbling a cookie.

”Are you sure you're all right?”

I raised my gaze and tried to smile, but I guess it looked more alarming than reassuring.

”Yeah. I only got some bruises and scrapes, but they didn't... touch me. They were preserving me to my new owner. I just can't stop thinking about my friend. I should be out there looking for her as soon as possible.”

Fahrenheit shook her head.

”That wouldn't be wise. Just bouncing around when you don't have any clue of her whereabout. Just trust us, and trust Hancock. We'll definitely get something out of the men we have locked up.”

”What do you do here?”

”I'm more or less a bodyguard of Hancock. He did tell you that he's the mayor of Goodneighbor? He usually doesn't forget to mention that. He did a solid for me more than once, so now I'm repaying him by watching his back and killing anyone who tries to fuck with him. He's a good mayor, but he's... he can also be kind of a dick. Still, he's always fair and helps anyone who needs it, but also hurt those who need hurting. So he has a lot of enemies.”

Fahrenheit lit a cigar, inhaled and smiled through the smoke.

”As long as you're on his good side, you don't have anything to fear. And, because you're under his protection, every guard of his will see that you're safe. So you can have a good night's sleep, if you can. If you can't, I can give you something to help you relax.”

”I'm good, thank you. It's just- I've never seen ghouls like him before. How did they get like that?”

”Where have you been the last 200 years?” Fahrenheit asked me with a puzzled look, but before I got to answer, she continued.

”There are two kinds of ghouls. The feral ones, which you apparently know, are the ones gone crazy because of the radiation. Their brains have been more or less melted and rotten away. Then there's the intelligent ghouls, who are just like normal people... Only with their looks changed, plus they can survive longer without food or water, and also live longer. The oldest smart ghoul I've met said he was 175 years old, and still going strong.”

She stumped the cigar on an ashtray on top of the shelf and straightened herself.

”You should get some sleep. There's a guard in the hallway, so if you hear someone walking past your door, it's just him. The bathroom is on the other side and you already know where's Hancock's room. I'm just two doors away to your left, so if you need anything, just ask the guard or come get me. Okay? Tomorrow we'll get you some shoes and more clothes.”

”Okay. Thank you”, I said from the bottom of my heart.

Fahrenheit smiled at me and stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

I was alone again. I put down the half-eaten cookie and hugged myself while sitting on the bed. Again, I felt the hot sensation in my eyes, but fought the tears back. I've cried enough. I'd have to be strong, for Holly's sake. Crying over everything wouldn't help anyone, not me, not her. I let myself fall on the bed and closed my eyes. The darkness came more easily than I had dared to hope.

…

”She okay?”

”A wreck, but what else could you expect”, Fahrenheit dropped on the sofa and the dust cloud rose from it. ”How about you?”

Hancock sat beside her, lifted his boots on the coffee table and took a deep breath of jet. After having his hit, he took off his hat and tilted his head to look at the ceiling.

”Just dandy”, he gave a small laugh, but Fahrenheit could hear the anger in his rasping voice. ”Shit. Fuckin' Patterson. I'll make a rug out of his skin once he's given us every detail.”

”What about the next auction they were talking about?”

”I sent some men to keep an eye on the hotel and everyone checking in. Also the guys at the gates know what to look for. If they're bringing two synths here, we'll know.”

Fahrenheit poured two glasses of whisky and gave the other one to Hancock.

”Have you got any plans for her?”

Hancock gulped the whisky down his throat and raised the hat on his face, taking a more relaxed pose.

”She'll stay here for now. I don't think she's got anywhere else to go. I really doubt we'll find her friend, but she doesn't need to hear that. In the morning go to Kill or Be Killed and round up some guns for her to choose from. She can't be walking around without one.”

”Consider it done. I can also take over watching her”, Fahrenheit drank her whisky and started rummaging the small drawer of the coffee table, soon enough she found another jet and took a hit.

”Nah, I kinda want to do it myself. I feel like taking some more personal responsibility here.”

”She told me she had never seen intelligent ghouls before today. You really think you stand a chance to get in her panties?” Fahrenheit grinned and started to feel the drug working in her brain.

”Ah, shuddup.”

When Hancock went silent after that, Fahrenheit just assumed he either fell asleep or was having a good trip.


End file.
